Public registration opens for Move Across Kansas

Monday

Jul 1, 2013 at 12:53 PMJul 1, 2013 at 12:54 PM

Registration is now open for Move Across Kansas at moveacrosskansas.ks.gov.Move Across Kansas, first announced in early June, is the online exercise tracking tool for individuals. The web-based tool is available to anyone interested in recording their exercise time and fitness level year-round.Move Across Kansas allows the participant to track his or her progress on a map, or route, simulating a tour across the state. A new route will be available each month, with each route displaying various points of interest along the trail. The first full route begins July 1.“We hope Kansans will take advantage of this website and use it to improve their daily exercise routine. In addition to logging physical activity for moving through the simulated routes, the website also will allow participants to use a ‘mile time’ test to determine fitness level and monitor progress,” said Robert Moser, M.D., Health and Environment secretary and state health officer.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment decided to launch Move Across Kansas on the heels of the Governor’s Weight Loss Challenge, a team competition that drew 5,000 participants and resulted in more than 44,400 pounds of total weight lost between January and May. Move Across Kansas can assist those who participated in the Governor’s Weight Loss Challenge with maintaining their weight or continued weight loss, adding a focus on regular exercise to improve fitness while maintaining healthy eating habits. Governor’s Weight Loss Challenge participants will not need to register with Move Across Kansas, but can simply log in immediately with the same log-in they used during the challenge.Participants will be able to start a Move Across Kansas route at any point during the month, but the application requires that participants log a total of 600 minutes of exercise between the start and ending of a month to complete that month’s route. KDHE will conduct drawings for state of Kansas employees who complete routes from July through October. Ninety state employees will be selected and presented a gift card worth $50. State employees will be entered into the drawing each time they complete a route, so chances in the drawing increase with each route completed. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation has provided the funds that have made this incentive for state employee participants possible.Additionally, members of the State Employee Health Plan who complete routes in Move Across Kansas will earn HealthQuest wellness credits toward their health insurance premium discount.